MHA to send inter-ministerial central team to flood-hit areas of Assam, Meghalaya

New Delhi, Jun 20: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said an inter-ministerial Central team will visit the flood-affected areas of Assam and Meghalaya to assess the damage.

After speaking to Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya Himanta Biswa Sarma and Conrad Sangma respectively, Shah said the Narendra Modi government stands firmly with the people of the two states in this hour of need.

"Spoke to CM Assam @himantabiswa and CM Meghalaya @SangmaConrad to discuss the situation in parts of both states in the wake of heavy rainfall and flooding. Modi government stands firmly with the people of Assam and Meghalaya in this hour of need," he tweeted.

The home minister said an inter-ministerial Central team will visit the flood-affected areas of Assam and Meghalaya to assess the damage.

He also said that following the earlier spell of floods, an inter-ministerial Central team visited the affected areas of Assam from May 26 to 29.

The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Monday, affecting nearly 43 lakh people in 33 of its 35 districts. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed air dropping of food and other relief materials in areas where there is heavy inundation.

The death toll in the ongoing flood and landslides in the state increased to 73 on Monday. Among the dead were two police personnel, including an officer-in-charge of a police station in the Nagaon district who had gone to help marooned people but were swept away. Their bodies were fished out in the early hours of Monday.